Adjustable camping tent



Mar. 27, 1923, 1,450,143

13. F. DILLMAN ADJUSTABLE CAMPING TENT Filed Dec .\l'7, 192 1 2 sheets-sheet l avmnwtoz III .F Dillman Mar. 27, 1923,

D. F. DILLMAN ADJUSTABLE CAMPING TENT Filed Dec. 17, 1921 2 sheets-sheet 2 3] vwewtoz Patented Mar. 27, 1923.

UNITED STATES DANIEL F. DILLMAN, OF YATES CENTER, KANSAS.

ADJUSTABLE CAMPING TENT.

Application filed December 17,1921. Serial No. 523,031.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL F. DILLMAN, a citizen of the United States. residing at Yates Center, in the county of Voodson and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Adjustable Camping Tents, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to tents or like structures, and particularly to a structure of this kind designed to be carried on automobiles, the supporting frame of the tent being adapted to be knocked down and the tent and frame folded up and carried upon the automobile.

The general object of my invention is to provide a frame for supporting the tent, of a very simple construction, formed in two main sections adapted, when in use, to be disposed on each side of an automobile so as to form a garage and two rooms or apartments on each side of the central or garage portion of the tent.

A further object is to so form these main sections that the parts of which they are composed may be readily folded upon each other and packed for transportation.

Another object is to provide very simple means whereby the parts of the several sections may be hingedly connected to each other and held in their unfolded relation.

Still another object is to provide a structure of the character described in which the frame, as before stated, is composed of two main sections, each of these main sections being composed of foldable pieces, these main sections including each a ridge pole and supports therefor, and a frame for sup-- porting the lateral walls of thetent;

A further object is to provide a construction of this character which weighs very little, which may becompactly folded, which may be readily set up and taken down, and which is relatively cheap.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view of a tent setup;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the framework of the tent; p

Figure 3 is a perspective view of one of the ground engaging frames partially folded up; I

Figure 4 is a perspective view of one. of the end roof supporting frames partially folded up; i

Figure 5 is a fragmentary persoective view showing the manner of joining t 1e sections 23 and 24 and 14;

Figurev 6 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the manner of joining the sections 19, 20 and 23;

Figure 7 is a. fragmentary perspective view showing the manner of joining the sections 28, 45, 44 and 47.

Referring to these drawings, and particularly to Figure 2, it will be seen that the tent is supported by two main sections A and B. These sections are alike so that the description of one will apply to the other. These sections are adapted to be disposed on either side of an automobile to form a garage, as it may be termed, within which the automobile may be housed and to form an apartment on each side of this garage. Each main section is composed of a ground engaging supporting frame which is, generally speaking, U-shaped in plan, as illustrated in, Figure 2. This main supporting frame consists of a transverse portion composed of two sections 10 and 11 which are connected to each other bya strap hinge 11 so that the sectionlO may befolded over onto the section 11. To the ends of the sections 1.0 and 11 respectively are hinged the longitudinally extending sections 12, the hinges 13 for these sections being so disposed that the sections 12 may be turned into parallel. relation to the section 11 but notin superposed relation.

To each of the sections 12 is hinged a section 14 by hinges 15- which permit the section 14 to be turned back upon and in parallel relation with the section 12. Thus it.

follows that the sections 14 may be turned back upon the sections 12, these sections 12 and 14 then turned into parallel relation to the sections 10 and 11, (see Fig. 3) and then the sections 10 and 11 folded over upon each other, forming acompact bundle about five feet long, it being assumed that each of the sections 10 and 11 is approximately five feet in length. The sections 14 are provided at, their ends with rope loops 16- 'throughwhich stakes may be driven.

The sections. .10 and 11 are alsoprovided with rope loops 16 through which stakes may be driven to thus hold the ground engaging sections firmly'to the ground.

The extremities of the sect-ion 14 are also provided with U-shaped sockets 17 of strap iron, and like sockets 18 are bolted to the sections 12, these sockets extending upward at an inclination to the sections 12 and to wardthe extremities of the sections 12. The canvas is supported at what may be termed the ridge of the roof by a cross bar formed in two sections 19 and 20. The section 19 may be provided with a metallic socket or sleeve 21 permanently attached to the section 19 and into which the end of the section is adapted to be inserted. A hook 22 engages with an eye on the section 19 so that when this hook is lowered into position, the section 20 is held in the socket 21. The uprights for this ridge pole or roof support each consist of two sections 23 and 24. The section 23 carries upon it a socket25 of the same character as the socket 22 so that the sections .23 can fit over the upper ends of the sections 24 and these sections. are locked in place by the hooks 26 in the manner previously described for the hooks 22. The upper ends of the sections 23 are formed with dowel pins 27 which extend through uprights in the ends of the sections 19 and 20. The lower ends of the sections 24 areadapted to be disposed within the sockets 17, which sockets firmly support these ridge poles or roof supporting sections in upright position.

In order to hold the roof up at the ends of the tent supporting structure, I provide roof supporting sections which consist of the transverse cross bar formed of the two sections 28 and 29, the section 29 being provided with the sleeve or socket 30 and with the hook 31 engaging the eye in the section 28,'and hinged to the ends of these sections 28 and 29 arev the sections 32 which are so hinged that the sections will turn inward in parallel relation to the sections 28 and 29, the lower extremities of these sections 32 being provided with the hooks 33. The lower ends of these sections 32, are adapted to fit in the sockets 18 and. the hooks 33 engaged with eyes.34 on the section 12 so that when the hooksvare thus engaged the members 32 are supported in an upwardly and outwardly inclined position, as illustrated most clearlyin Figure 2, Those sections which rest upon the ground are preferably provided with screw eyes 35, constituting buttons.

" A. numberiof these screw eyes are shown as appliedto the sections 10 and 11 and to the inner ends of the sections 14. It will be obvious that these screw eyes may be applied anywhere lupon the ground engaging sectionsior upon the uprights. The canvas tent aegis-formed at intervals with eyelets 37 through which theheads of the screw eyes are adapted to be inserted, and then these screw eye's'are turn-ed at right angles to these slits or button holes 37 so as to hold the" can vas firmly engaged with the supporting frame. The dowels 27 project above the bars 19 and 20, and the canvas is formed with apertures 38. through which these dowels project. Guy ropes 39 having eyes at their upper ends are adapted to be engaged with these upwardly projecting dowels and then extended downward and upward through proper stakes.

The tent, as illustrated, is formed in one piece, though this may be changed, and embodies a middle roof portion 40, the two downwardly and laterally inclinedroof por tions 41, the wall portions 42, and the tent flap 43, which may be attached to one of the wall portions 42 and to the roof 40, but is preferably disconnected from the wall portions 42 at both sides edges so that it may be thrown up over the roof40. Suitable means are to be provided for holding this tent flap 43 downward. Obviously there'may be two of these flaps 43. Obviously also the wall portions 42 may be provided with entrance openings or, if desired, with light admitting openings having flaps to'keep out the wine and rain or having flexible celluloid light admitting panes therein. I do not wish to be limited, therefore, to the detailed construction of the tent as this may be changed in many ways without departing at all from the spirit of the invention.

When it is desired to set up the tent, the ground engaging sections are disposed on either side of the space reserved for the automobile and at a'predetermined distance apart. The roof supporting sections are unfolded and engaged with the sockets 17 and the lateral wall supporting sections are unfolded and engaged with the sockets 18. Stakes are then driven, holding these two frames in place, and then the tent is unfolded and slipped over the structure and the lower margins of the tent engaged with the eyes It'will be seen that thisoperation is very simple, may be quickly accomplished, and that the framework of the tent may be as easily and quickly taken down. When the 'tent is up it provides the medially disposed garage for the car and two lateral apartments. The ground engaging frames are folded'and placed together so as to make one package having a length of approximately fivefeet more or less, de-

pending upon the size of the car, the side eachv shaped to fit the'running'board or 111g- 7 gage carrier of any car.

It is obvious that this same principle: of

the ridge pole of the section A and over the roof supporting structures formed within the sections 28 and 29. Thus it will only be necessary to carry the tent and one of the sections A where a small tent is desired. Preferably the various sections are made of 2x2 cyprus or pine timbers.

'It is sometimes desirable that a sloping roof be provided overa car so as to more efficiently shed rain, and in that case I may use two hinged jointed rafters, designated 4 1- and 45, there being a rafter at each end of the roof, these rafters being connected to each other by hinges 46, the ends of the sections let and 45 being formed with openings through which the dowel pins 27 may passand the rafters being connected by a ridge pole 47 preferably made in two hinged sections and formed to fit in the angle of the joints of the rafters, thus giving aroof which is higher in the middle than at the sides. These rafters and the ridge pole are, of course, to be made in sections of convenient lengths so that when the hinged sections are folded upon each other the pieces may be readily packed for transportation.

While I have illustrated details which I have found to be particularly effective in practice, I do not wish to be limited thereto, as it is obvious that these might be changed in many ways without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim 1. A tent supporting structure including a ground engaging base formed of sections hinged to each other for folding, a ridge pole and connected uprights formed of sections, certain of the sections being foldably and detachably engaged with each other, and an outer tent support formed of sections detachably and foldably engaged with each other, the uprights of the ridge pole and the uprights of the outer tent support being detachably engaged with the ground engaging members. 7

2. A tent supporting structure comprising a foldable ground engaging frame, an approximately U-shaped, foldable, relatively high roof supporting frame detachably engaged with the ground engaging frame, a second approximately U-shaped, relatively low roof supporting frame detachably engaged with the ground frame.

3. A tent supporting structure comprising a foldable ground engaging frame, an approximately U-shaped, foldable, relatively high roof supporting frame detachably engaged-withthe ground engaging frame, a

low roof supporting frame detachab'ly engaged-with the ground frame, and means for supporting the last named frame at an outwardly and upwardly extending angle, the

cross bar of each roof supporting frame being formed of a'plurality of sections detachably engaged with each other, the legs of each roof supporting frame being formed of sections havin means whereby they may be foldably he d in aligned relation.

4. A tent supporting structure comprising two foldable ground engaging frames adapted-to be disposed upon the ground in spaced relation to each other, an approximately U- shaped, foldable, relatively high roof supporting frame detachably engaged with each ground engaging frame at the adjacent-ends of the ground engaging frames, a second approximately U-shaped relatively low roof supporting frame detachably engaged with the ground engaging frame adjacent the outer ends thereof, and means for supporting the last named frames at an upwardly and outwardly extending angle to the ground engaging frame, the ground engaging frames being'formed with stake loops at spaced intervals and-with sockets for the reception of'the ends of the roof supporting frames.

5. A tent supporting structure comprising a foldable ground engaging frame, an approximately U-shaped, foldable, relatively high roof supporting frame detac-hably engaged with the grouncb engaging frame, a second approximately U-shaped relatively low roof supporting frame detach-ably engaged with the ground engaging frame, means for supporting the last named frame at an outward and upward angle to the ground engaging frame, and a tent having a horizontal roof portion, a downwardly extending roof portion and wall portions, the tent being adapted to be disposed over the roof supporting frames with the first named roof supporting frame at the junction of the horizontal and downwardly inclined portions and the last named frame at the junction of the downwardly extending roof portion with the end wall of the tent, and means detachably connecting the lower margins of the walls of the tent to the ground engaging frame.

6. A tent supporting structure comprising two foldable, ground engaging frames adapted to be disposed on the ground in spaced relation to each other, an approximately U-shaped, foldable, relatively high roof support-ing frame detachably engaged at each end with a ground engaging frame, two approximately U-shaped relatively low roof supporting frames detachably engaged each with a ground engaging frame at the outer end thereof, means for supporting the loo -. with upwardly last named frames at an outward and upr. w ard angle relative to the ground engaging angles to the cross bar, the cross bar being formed in twohingedsections adapted to be folded over upon each other, the legs being each composed of two hinged sections adapted to be folded into parallel relation, the legs being hinged to the sections of the cross bar so as to be turned into parallel relation thereto, the outer ends of the legs being formed with sockets and the legs adjacent the cross bar being formed and outwardly inclined sockets, a pairof approximately U-shaped roof supporting frames each formed of a cross bar and a pair of legs, each cross bar being formed in two detachably' engaged aligning sections, the legs of each cross bar being formed of two sections, the lower ends of said legs being adapted to, be inserted in said first named sockets, and a pair of relatively low U-shaped roof supporting frames comprising a cross bar and legs,

each cross bar being formed in two detachable sections and the legs of each cross bar being perpendicular to the cross bar and hinged thereto, the legs being adapted to be inserted inthe second named sockets to thereby support the last named roof supporting frame at an angle to'the ground engaging frames, and a tent having a horizontal roof portion, two downwardly and outwardly extending roof portions and wall portions, the tent being adapted to? be disposed over the roof supporting frame, and means-detachab-ly connecting the lower margins of the walls of the tent to the ground engaging frames.

8. A tent formed to provide a middle, V-shaped roof section and two downwardly and outwardly inclined roof sections and walls extending downward from the roof sections and two. frames adapted to be disposed beneath the downwardly and outwardly inclined roof sections and support the middle section and the lateral roof sections, said frames being composed of foldable sections, means for detachably connecting the tent to said sections; hinged rafter sections adapted-to be mounted upon the two frames to bridge the space beneath the middle section of the tent, and a ridge pole engaging the two rafter sections at the joint thereof and formed of a plurality of hingedly connected sections.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

DANIEL F. DILLMAN. 

